Representational Image | Image: DNA India

In 2014, Delhi Police started a simple and low-cost plan to stop crimes inside city parks — bicycle patrols. The plan began in North Delhi with eight gear bicycles. Police officers were told to patrol parks and nearby paths from 8 to 10 in the morning and from 4 to 6 in the evening.

After some time, the plan slowed down. It was restarted in 2017 with more bicycles. For example, the South District got four bicycles for each of its 15 police stations. The Yamuna area got 65 bicycles. A team was also made for Buddha Jayanti Park, which covers about 100 acres.

But soon again, the activity faded away. Now, in many areas, this patrol system is rarely seen. Police say that when criminals see bicycle patrols, they stop coming to parks for some time, and later the focus shifts elsewhere.

Problems in Running the Plan

Police officers say the plan faced many problems — long routes, bad lighting, broken paths, and poor park upkeep. One officer said that the roads inside most parks were not fit for bicycle use, and that made patrolling hard.

Why Bicycles Can Still Help

Crimes in parks have been growing. A few days ago, a 23-year-old salesman was killed inside a park. Such cases show the need for strong patrols in green areas like Sanjay Van, Buddha Jayanti Park, and Deer Park. These places often become unsafe after dark.

Walking long distances is tiring, but bicycles can help police move faster. They can cover more area and keep better watch on people. This may stop bad elements from entering parks.

Retired police officers said that a clear police presence keeps troublemakers away. They also said that senior officers should check park patrols daily. One retired DCP said, “There are many cases of snatching during morning and evening walks. Armed bicycle teams can reduce these crimes. They can move around easily and keep an eye on everything.”

How Patrols Work Now

Many senior officers said that parks are still part of their patrol plans. One DCP said that from 6 PM to 10 PM, a team visits parks to make sure everything is fine. “When possible, we use bicycles. After checking, we take photos of the park and share them in our group,” the officer added.

In some areas, bicycles cannot be used because of rough and uneven paths.

Asking for Better Park Safety

Police said they often question people who roam in parks without a reason and check their IDs. They also keep an eye on those with criminal records. Officers said they are asking local authorities to add better lights, CCTV cameras, security guards, and proper boundary walls to make parks safer for all.

As winter comes closer, Delhi’s air usually gets worse. But on Sunday morning (October 12), the city saw a small improvement. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 169, which is in the moderately polluted range. This is lower than 193 recorded at 5 a.m. on Saturday.

Still, the AQI has been rising compared to 129 on Friday morning and 91 on Thursday, showing that pollution is increasing slowly.

Weather update:
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that temperatures in Delhi will stay between 30°C and 32°C during the day and 18°C and 19°C at night. Temperatures have been steady in Delhi-NCR for the past few days.

About AQI:
The AQI scale is divided into six levels: Good (0–50), Satisfactory (51–100), Moderately Polluted (101–200), Poor (201–300), Very Poor (301–400), and Severe (401–500). Higher numbers mean the air is harder to breathe.

AQI is measured by checking several pollutants, especially PM2.5. These are tiny particles that can go deep into the lungs and are harmful to health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that breathing in PM2.5 can cause heart problems, lung cancer, and long-term lung diseases like COPD.

People in Delhi-NCR might be able to burst firecrackers again this Diwali. The Supreme Court is thinking about allowing green firecrackers for a few days during the festival.

A team led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said they will soon give their final decision. For now, they are thinking about allowing green firecrackers for five days on a trial basis, with fixed hours.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked the court to lift the ban and let people use green firecrackers. He said people should be allowed to burst them from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, from 11:45 pm to 12:30 am on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and for one hour on Gurpurab.

He also said that PESO and NEERI will check the factories to make sure only green firecrackers are made and sold. These crackers should be made using approved materials that cause less pollution.

Mehta added that joint crackers should not be made or sold in Delhi-NCR. He said only licensed sellers should be allowed to sell firecrackers, and only from approved makers.

He also asked that online shopping sites like Amazon and Flipkart should not take any orders for crackers.

Senior lawyer Aparajita Singh, who is helping the court with this case, warned that fake green crackers are being sold under wrong labels and may still have harmful chemicals.

The court also asked if the air quality in Delhi had gotten better between 2018 and 2024. Mehta said it has stayed almost the same, except during the COVID-19 lockdown, when the air was cleaner.

Earlier, on September 26, the Supreme Court had allowed green firecrackers to be made in Delhi, but they were not allowed to be sold in the NCR area.

The final decision is still waiting, but many people are hoping this year’s Diwali will have firecrackers again.